“Wait, Mrs. Ridgley! I brought in the homework you assigned. Remember?”
My mind raced; I had not seen this class in 2-3 weeks; homework was the last thing on my mind. Plus, why would I assign homework to my advisory class, an ungraded class???
“The Bible verse homework. Remember?”
Other students started nodding their heads and smiling; a few raised their hands as well.
Right, I remembered. We had been talking about changing our mindsets to make better decisions and I had given them optional homework to find Bible verses that also called us to change our thinking. Surprised that the student remembered and was excited to share, I gladly let him share his Bible verse with the class before we began that morning’s lesson. A few more shared the ones they came up with also.
This was a great start to our last meeting of the semester as we wrapped up our discussion of changing our mindset when things don’t go our way. Students partnered up, created a comic strip of a situation that might cause strong emotions in Middle School and how a student could change their thinking to make better choices. They also incorporated Bible verses to show how God calls us to be different and to have a different mindset than the world. You can see some of the final products below.
Advisory class comic strip situation with Bible verse. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7
Advisory class comic strip situation with Bible verse. Romans 12:2
Advisory class comic strip situation with Bible verse. James 1:20
Advisory students working on posters to cheer on other schools coming to play at our school.
Advisory students working on posters to cheer on other schools coming to play at our school.
Advisory class playing Gingerbread Man Tag on the last day of school before Christmas break.
8th Grade
A horror unit at a Christian school? Yes. Amazingly, we can learn much from reading stories in the horror genre. There are even great Christian authors who fall in this category (Frank Peretti). Horror shows that evil is real and that it can be overcome; we, as Christians, have the ultimate victory over evil. The eighth graders focused largely on themes as we read. Here are a few that they noticed: Guilt will drive you mad. Be continent with what you have. Honor those that go before you. Listen to those who are wiser than you. At the end of the unit, we read “A Christmas Carol”, and students recognized that no one is too far gone to be redeemed; greed for money will drive away things that truly matter; and we can be thankful and joyful in all circumstances. Below are some words of the wiser they offered to characters in one of our stories, some of their one-pagers from “A Christmas Carol”, and pictures of them at work.
Students analyzing A Christmas Carol together.
Students analyzing A Christmas Carol together.
Eight graders engaging in discussion about the theme of The Monkey’s Paw.
Eight graders working on a literary analysis.
Words of wisdom from the eighth graders to characters in one of the horror stories.
A one-pager from eighth grade.
Another one-pager; I especially like the “what I liked” section in this one.
Another one-pager from eighth grade.
7th Grade
The seventh graders were on a different journey in my class. They researched and wrote about a possible career that they might do. It was enjoyable to learn more about them as I read their research papers. After that project, we read Freak The Mighty, which is a novel about two boys who are each a bit of an outcast and their great friendship. Through this novel, students realized that they are quick to judge others due to stereotypes, but that people are more than what they seem. Students learned that they should strive to become friends with everyone because you never know what you might learn from the other person. Below are some pictures of them working through the book.
Seventh graders reading the books they chose for Book Share.
Seventh graders comparing and contrasting Freak the Mighty with the movie adaptation.
Seventh graders comparing and contrasting Freak the Mighty with the movie adaptation.
Personal
We had a wonderful time with Elijah’s family as they were all together for Thanksgiving this year. This was the first time that all families have been together since all the siblings were married. The cousins got along well and it was a great time to reconnect. Our kids finished season one sports; Reese is now doing soccer instead of basketball for season two, and the other two are doing their own trainings for their season three sports. Reese showed off some of her art work that she created in her art class and she performed in the band concert to close out the semester. She loves being creative, so it was fun to see her show off what she loves. Paige and Asher went to the semi-formal dance this last quarter. Both had a great time with their friends and are looking forward to the next dance. It is sweet that they can enjoy this time together. Elijah has hired an administrative assistant to help him in his business and that has brought some much needed help for him.
Reese’s cowgirl costume for her Middle School social.
Asher with his friends for the dance.
Paige with her friends before the dance.
Reese presenting her favorite pieces of art.
Ridgley parents with their grown kids.
Grandparents with all the grandkids.
Praises
- Great mini vacation with the Ridgley clan.
- We have two weeks to rest before going back to the busy-ness of work and school.
- There has been growth both academically and spiritually in students.
- Kids are healthy and growing.
Prayer Requests
- Continued spiritual engagement with those we work with.
- Elijah’s sleep apnea to improve.
- The new school year to be full of God’s joy and presence.
Thank you all for taking the time to read about what is happening in our lives and ministry. We pray that God blesses you in all that you do. May the Lord show you His mercy and love this holiday season. If you have any prayer requests we could be praying for, please email us and let us know. We would love to be praying for you specifically.
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord, your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58
In Him,
Elijah and Jessica Ridgley